Glossary

What are the regulations?

When running or managing a health or social care service and providing a regulated activity, there are certain things you have to do by law. The law also makes certain requirements of us at CQC, and sets out the powers we have to regulate health and social care services.

The acts and regulations that relate to the registration of health and social care services with us are:

Health and Social Care Act 2008

This is a single Act of Parliament that sets out our powers and duties and embodies the modernisation and integration of health and social care. The Health and Social Care Act 2008 established the CQC as the regulator of all health and adult social care services in England.

These regulations contain definitions of the services and activities that people must be registered to provide. In some cases, they contain details about the stages at which different types of provider will be brought into the registration system. They also contain details of the standards that people who are registered to provide and manage services have to comply with.